Shoe polishing machine



MITSUGU TAMURA Aug. 6, 1963 SHOE POLISHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 5. 1961 M87666)! 772 15- wyw Tamra @Ti'errcw United States Patent 3,099,850 SHOE PGLISHING MACHINE Mitsugu Tamura, 124 Banchi, Tokurnaru-cho, Itahashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan Filed Sept. 5, 1961, Ser. No. 136,422 3 Claims. (Cl. 1535) The present invention relates to a shoe polishing machine, and, more particularly, to one having a longitudinally arcuate core lever equipped with bristles to provide a brush-like action both by rotating on itself and revolving planetarily about a shoe to be polished.

The inventive device carries fixed stanchions on the front and back part of the baseplate. Each stanchion is provided with upper and lower pulley or sprocket members with the upper members carrying an endless element such as a belt or chain and the lower members carrying another such element. The upper element is equipped with spaced-apart holder rings which carry the respective ends of the arcuate core lever, one of the ends being extended and carrying a means in the nature of a friction wheel positioned to be rotated by the lower belt or chain element. A shoe rest is secured over the front and back stanchions, and when the two endless elements are driven, either at the same or difierent speeds, the arcuate brush revolves about the shoe while rotating on itself to provide an advantageous polishing action.

The attached drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view, FIGURE 2 a plan view and FIGURE 3 a view taken along line AA of FIGURE 1 in the direction shown by arrows.

The preferred embodiment will be described with reference being made to the drawing as follows:

The numeral 1 designates a baseplate, while the numerals 2 and 3 designate stanchions fixed respectively in the front and back part of the baseplate 1. Rest plate 4 is secured on the tops of the stanchions 2 and 3, and may be supported further with a plurality of props 5 also secured to the baseplate 1. Fixed to the rest plate 4 is shoe plate 6 which, together with rest plate 4, constitutes a shoe rest. 7 and 8 are upper belt pulleys mounted on the upper part of front and back stanchions 2 and 3, respectively, while 9 and 10 are lower 'belt pulleys mounted on the lower part of front and back stanchions 2 and 3, respectively. 11 is an upper belt connecting upper belt pulleys 7 and 8, and 12 is a lower belt connecting lower belt pulleys 9 and 10. 13 is a holder ring projecting from and fastened to the outside surface of upper belt 11, and 14 is a supporter projecting from and fastened to upper belt 11 likewise and lies a suitable distance from holder ring 13. 15 is a projecting holder ring pivotally supported as at 16 by supporter 14, while 17 is a brush equipped with a core lever whose both ends 17a and 1712 are rotatably mounted in the holder rings 13 and 15, respectively. For this purpose, the brush 17 is 'bent on an arc. The numeral 18 designates a friction wheel fixed on core lever end 17a for rotation by being pressed against the outside surface of lower belt 12.

The numeral 19 designates an electric motor secured on the baseplate 1, with the numeral 20 designating the motor shaft. 21 designates a bevel gear fixed at one end of the shaft 20, while 22 designates another bevel gear fixed at the other end of the shaft 20. The numeral 23 designates a hollow spindle set over the front stanchion 2 and providing the support for upper belt pulley 7. The numeral 24 designates another hollow spindle journaled over the hollow spindle 23 and maintained in position by support 25, support 25 also being secured to the baseplate 1. The hollow spindle 24 is thus able to rotate independently from the hollow spindle 23 and carries the lower pulley 9 fixed to it.

The numeral 26 designates another hollow spindle journaled on the back stanchion 3 which carries the lower belt pulley 10. The numeral 27 is a gear shaft rotatably carried in upright fashion on the baseplate 1 and which carries fixed gear 28 and bevel gear 29. The bevel gear 29 meshes with the bevel gear 21, as can be readily seen from FIG. 3. The numeral 31 designates a bevel gear fixed on the hollow spindle 26 and meshes with the bevel gear 22. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the outline of a shoe is designated by the numeral 32. The invention also contemplates employing a plurality of brushes 17, in which case suitable interlocking mechanism may be provided for power transmission. Also, the upper and lower belt or chain elements may be driven in opposite directions to each other.

Action of the present inventive device will be described on the basis of the preferred embodiment mentioned above. Shoe 32, as this is worn, and illustrated in FIG- URE 1, is set upon the shoe rest with the heel being immovably set on shoe plate 6, and electric motor 19 is started. Shaft 20 rotates and the rotation is transmitted, and decelerated through bevel gears 21 and 29, gear 28 on shaft 27, and gear wheel 30, to hollow spindle 23 which rotates upper belt pulley 7 at comparatively lower speed and therefore upper belt 11 revolves at low speed. The shaft 20 through bevel gears 22 and 31, and hollow spindle 26 rotates lower belt pulley 10 at comparatively higher speed and therefore lower belt 12 revolves at high speed. Brush 17, having both ends 17a and 17b of its core lever inserted respectively in holder rings 13 and 15 mounted on upper belt 11, is rotated at high speed by friction wheel 18 which lies pressed against lower belt 12, while it revolves together with belt 11 round the shoe rest, in frictional contact with the outside surface of the shoe for polishing the shoe. In passing by the toe of shoe 32, brush 17 saddles itself on that part as illustrated in FIG- URE 1. In practical use of the inventive shoe polishing machine, it is desirable to use a set of three, namely for dust cleaning, cream application and polishing-finishing and carry out these courses in succession. But, the object may be attained with use of a single machine for cream application in such a way, namely cream application, in the first revolution and polishing-finishing in the second one.

As the arcuate brush of the inventive machine rotates and polishes the shoe revolving round the shoe, a round of polishing operation is completed in extremely short time, and as the brush goes around the shoe in good frictional contact especially in the toe region, superior polish may be accomplished, and moreover the overall mechanical operation has the effect of realizing simple and sanitary shoe polishing.

I claim:

1. A shoe polishing machine, comprising a baseplate, stanchions fixed respectively on the front and the back part of the baseplate, each stanchion being provided with upper and lower pulley members, a belt element entrained in the upper belt pulley and a second belt element entrained in the lower pulley members, spaced-apart holder rings on the upper belt element, a brush having an arcuate core, the core ends being inserted into said rings, one end of said core element being equipped with a friction wheel positioned to press against the lower belt element to transmit rotative motion to said core, a shoe rest secured over the front and back stanchions, and means for driving the upper and lower belt elements at difierent speeds.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which one of said holder rings is pivotally secured to said upper belt element.

3. In a shoe polishing machine, a frame equipped with upright stanchions at the ends thereof, a pair of vertically References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Greer Dec. 29, 1908 Ashley Nov. 6, 1956 

3. IN A SHOE POLISHING MACHINE, A FRAME EQUIPPED WITH UPRIGHT STANCHIONS AT THE ENDS THEREOF, A PAIR OF VERTICALLY SPACED-APART ENDLESS ELEMENTS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID STANCHIONS, AN ARCUATE BRUSH UPSTANDING FROM THE UPPER OF SAID ELEMENTS AND ADAPTED TO REVOLVE PLANETARILY AROUND SAID STANCHIONS, MEANS ON SAID BRUSH ADAPTED TO CONTACT SAID LOWER ELEMENT TO ROTATE SAID BRUSH, SHOE SUPPORT MEANS ON SAID STANCHIONS, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ELEMENTS AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. 